Public Works Department minister Chandrakant Patil said that the government has prepared a plan to redevelop the colony

The Maharashtra government plans to start the redevelopment of the portion of the government colony in Bandra (East) soon. Public Works Department minister Chandrakant Patil said that the government has prepared a plan to redevelop the colony, which is spread across 97 acres.

Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab raised a calling attention motion in the legislative council regarding the condition of the buildings. “I raised two issues in the council. One was regarding the shoddy repair work of these 36 buildings. I asked the government to visit the colony and check the quality of the repairs. Second, since the government has planned a redevelopment of the entire colony, the employees should be given a separate plot at ready-reckoner rate, so that they can construct their societies on their own,” Parab said.

Replying in the upper house, Patil said, “The redevelopment of the colony is under consideration, and a detailed project report is being prepared.” The minister added that the department will also inspect the condition of the building in the coming week.

The government colony, which was built in 1959, houses around 5,000 quarters for state government employees. The state is mulling over dividing the colony, which houses nearly 5,000 government staffers, into smaller plots and auctioning out about half the land to monetise it along the lines of the Bandra Kurla Complex. The government hopes to earn between Rs20,000 crore to Rs40,000 crore.